2021 EVENTS
VIRTUAL COURSE - BETTER PROCESS CONTROL SCHOOL (BPCS)
Virtual Course - Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for Food Operations
The Virtual Better Process Control School (BPCS)
2020 EVENTS
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for Food Operations Course
The IFSH GMP for Food Operations course aims to cover the new requirements described in Subpart B of the FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food (Preventive Controls for Human Food, PCHF) regulation (21 CFR Part 117) under the Food Modernization Safety Act (FSMA). Attendees will gain in-depth knowledge on these new regulatory requirements in GMP as part of the PCHF rule, and their implications to the day-to-day operations of food manufacturers. The course will provide real-life examples and exercises on key GMP components to facilitate attendees’ participation. The learnings from this course will assist participants in compliance with FDA’s new GMP requirements for food operations.
Two-Track Virtual Better Process Control School (BPCS)
The Virtual Better Process Control School (BPCS) is a school designed for manufacturers of shelf stable, acidified and low-acid foods (including pet foods). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations in 21 CFR 108, 113, and 114 require that acidified and low acid food manufacturers operate with a certified supervisor on hand at all times during production. This BPCS also meets U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations 9 CFR 431 for shelf stable, thermally processed meat and poultry products.
The course is delivered remotely in real time via online WebEx Training platform. Participants must be present for the entire course and have reliable access to the internet and a computer or mobile device with video conferencing capabilities.
Presentation Materials May be Accesed Here
VIRTUAL Better Process Control School – Acidified Foods Only
The Virtual Better Process Control School - Acidified Foods Only course of the Institute for Food Safety and Health, (IFSH), IIT satisfies the training requirements of both FDA and USDA regulations to prevent foodborne illnesses and protect public health. In addition, the course helps participants understand the foundational whys behind thermal processing of acidified foods and the basics of package integrity, teardown methods and regulatory needs. This training program is required for processors of low acid and acidified food manufacturers under the regulations 21 CFR 113, 21 CFR 114, and 9 CFR 431.
Presentation Materials May be Accesed Here
High-Throughput Sequencing and Predictive Microbiology: Mapping the microbiome to manage risk during production
Have you ever wondered what microorganisms are found in a facility and where exactly they reside? In what combinations and proportions do they appear? How do they grow, move and survive? How does the production environment affect them and how they, the environment? Is it possible to use this information to predict and prevent spoilage or even outbreaks and reduce food safety risks?
The SAFE project, a 3-year initiative, brought together the industry, government and academia in Ireland, and with the use of High Throughput/Next Generation Sequencing (HTS/NGS) mapped the microbiome of food manufacturing facilities across the region. The results from the project provide insight for developing models to predict the likelihood of occurrence of a pathogen or a spoiler within a production environment before it actually occurs. This enables a preventive approach to food safety, thereby reducing or eliminating the potential for holding a shipment, wasting product, or the brand damage associated with a product recall.
This webinar is a prelude to initiate a similar collaborative project here in the U.S. between IFSH, Creme Global and food companies interested in participating in the project.
Presentation Materials May be Accesed Here
Combined Acidified Foods and Better Process Control School
The Combined Acidified Foods and Better Process Control School (BPCS) is a 2-4 day school designed for manufacturers of shelf stable, acidified and low-acid foods (including pet foods). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations in 21 CFR 108, 113, and 114 require that acidified and low acid food manufacturers operate with a certified supervisor on hand at all times during production. This BPCS also meets U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations 9 CFR 431 for shelf stable, thermally processed meat and poultry products.
Presentation Materials May be Accesed Here
2019 EVENTS
Acidified Foods Only - Better Process Control School
The Better Process Control School Acidified Foods Only course of the Institute for Food Safety and Health, (IFSH), IIT satisfies the training requirements of both FDA and USDA regulations to prevent foodborne illnesses and protect public health. In addition, the course helps participants understand the foundational why’s behind thermal processing of acidified foods as well as look at the basics of package integrity, teardown methods and regulatory needs. This training program is required for processors of low-acid and acidified food manufacturers under the regulations 21 CFR 113, 21 CFR 114, and 9 CFR 431.
Presentation Materials May be Accessed Here
IFSH & University of Wisconsin’s Food Research Institute Joint Symposium: MANAGING MICROBIOLOGICAL TESTING AS A PREVENTIVE CONTROL VERIFICATION
FDA’s final rule “Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food” requires that preventive controls be verified to ensure that they are consistently and effectively implemented. Verification procedures frequently take on the form of environmental and product microbiological testing. Establishing a testing plan is resource intensive and may create concerns regarding expense, effectiveness, and potential liability. In this symposium, speakers from government, industry, and academia will address considerations of where to test, testing frequency, rapid methods, statistical process control, role of environmental testing, role of existing literature and predictive modeling for validation, and responses to findings. Case studies will be presented and attendees will be engaged in break out groups to discuss strategies in developing effective testing programs.
Presentation Materials May Be Accessed Here
Symposium Photos May be Accessed Here
2018 EVENTS
Food waste and sustainability symposium
Food production needs to be a sustainable endeavor that considers environmental, social, and economic issues. Food waste works against sustainability in all three of these areas. The Food Research Institute of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Institute for Food Safety and Health co-hosted "Food Waste and Sustainability: Strategies to Improve Food Safety, Food Security, and Nutrition". This symposium brought together representatives from industry, academia, and government to discuss ways in which food sustainability can be improved and food waste can be decreased without compromising food safety, food security, or nutrition. Sessions covered agricultural issues and solutions related to sustainability in food production, approaches to reducing food waste in manufacturing of various food products, and ways to minimize waste in retail and restaurant environments. Consumer and social issues related to sustainability and food waste were addressed. Additional presentations about the role of supply chain management, date labeling, and cold chain management in improving sustainability in the food supply and reducing waste were discussed. Nearly 60 industry, government and academic personnel attended the symposium.
Presentation Materials May be Accessed Here
Food Safety & High-Throughput Sequencing
In the past 15 years, High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) or Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has leaped forward and regenerated the word ‘Next’ many times over. In this symposium, we will hold a Palantir and look into the future of HTS in the field of food safety with a focus on its many applications to learn and catalogue, to monitor and control, to combat and modify foodborne microorganisms. The professionals from governmental agencies such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), as well as those of the food industry, tech companies and academia present the news and their views, the current state of affairs, including existing obstacles and possible solutions, with respect to the widespread use and implementation of the HTS technology in their organizations and their perspectives about its future.
Presentation Materials May be Accessed Here
2017 EVENTS
IFT-EFFOST INTERNATIONAL NONTHERMAL PROCESSING CONFERENCE, WORKSHOP, AND SHORT COURSE
In this conference, researchers, subject matter experts, and stakeholders from government, academia, research institutions, food industry, food service groups and consumer/community groups will discuss the opportunities and issues associated with novel and nonthermal food processing technologies, research findings at various stages of the development chain, and showcase best practices in commercializing these technologies including key issues of food formulations, selection of the best fit processes and packaging for food manufacture, storage, and shipping of these innovative food products.
The Conference Website May be Accessed Here
Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) for the Food Industry Where Are We at? Why Should We Care?
After nearly a decade, various governmental agencies that oversee and safeguard human and animal food supplies have embraced whole genome sequencing (WGS) technology. In this symposium, we will hear the latest scientific advances, the current efforts to standardize methodologies between agencies, and their synergies and convergences in analytical methodologies and data interpretations. More importantly, we will hear from leading industry practitioners about the obstacles preventing the industry from embracing the WGS technology from an operational perspective.
Presentation Materials May be Accessed Here
2016 EVENTS
Whole Genome Sequencing For Food Safety Symposium
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has become the preferred method for reliably identifying a foodborne pathogen, finding its sources and implementing proper food safety control procedures. The IFSH Whole Genome Sequencing Symposium will gather leading experts to educate and promote WGS technology among food industry professionals. IFSH aspires to encourage communication and collaborations between government, academic and food industry stakeholders in order to implement cutting-edge methods of detection of foodborne microorganisms causing disease or food spoilage, to formulate rapid responses to any threat to food safety and quality risks.
Presentation Materials May be Accessed Here